Midland School students hike 100 miles in six days

On Feb. 10, me, eight other Midland students, and two teachers embarked on a 100-mile trek from Los Olivos to Ojai.

While it has been a longstanding tradition for Midlanders to hike there, only a handful of groups have been successful — and we were determined to be one of them.

Setting out before sunrise, we were all genuinely unsure of what lay ahead, and if we would even make it to our final destination, the Thacher School in Ojai.

Over the next six days, we learned to lean on and support one another, knowing it was solely up to us and each other to make this dream a reality.

Every day, our group was awakened hours before sunrise by the two designated "leaders of the day” (LODs). The cooks would start boiling water for breakfast while the rest of us got dressed and gathered for pump and stretch. Then, individually, we broke off to pack, administer footcare, and eat. While still dark, the LODs turned into drill sergeants, pushing everyone to finish up so we could hit the trail before daybreak.

LODs are the backbone of the group, tasked with getting everyone up and out, planning breaks, navigation, and getting camp set up upon arrival.

After hiking for several hours, we would stop for lunch and “stack functions” or consolidate as many tasks into our lunch stop to avoid having to stop again later. Some of those tasks included drying wet gear, administering foot care once again, bathroom breaks, and purifying our water.

Without fail, we always arrived at the next campsite after dark despite trying to get there before sundown. Upon arrival, we followed EGGS: [E]ssentials, such as putting on layers or changing shoes; [G]roup [G]ear would be organized in the center of camp as the cooks began prepping; and [Self] care.

Before eating, we gathered for dinner circle where everyone would share appreciation for each other from the day, and the LODs would read a quote.

During dinner, the LODs would reflect on their leadership and receive constructive feedback from the rest of us on their successes and shortcomings of that day.

Afterward, everyone went to bed except for the cleaners. Their job was to clean up and stormproof camp, by securing food and loose items for the night. Once they finished, they along with the rest of us, would crawl into sleeping bags and get our much needed sleep so we could get up and do it all again the next day.

Each day ranged from 13 to 20 miles, having to adapt and adjust our routes depending on deep snow, washed out trails, and unpredictable terrain.

Because of the rugged landscape, we witnessed the spectacular beauty of the Los Padres National Forest, rare baby California condors and breathtaking views of the towns and scenery below us.

Despite all of the beauty, we also experienced a fair number of challenges.

In addition to the injuries from our 60+ lb. packs and wet boots, we made some costly mistakes. On day two, we took a wrong turn and hiked two miles in the wrong direction, costing us precious daylight and forcing us to stop four miles short of our intended campsite. That was probably our lowest day; a lot of us started to doubt if we would make it anymore. Fortunately, we were too stubborn to let this setback stop us, and it only gave us more determination to keep trudging onward.

On the final day, we reached the top of the Lion Canyon Trail, our last summit before our final descent to Thacher, and we had a snowball fight to celebrate.

Afterward, we each took a solo walk down to the Pines Campground, about two miles from Thacher. We separated a few hundred yards from each other and did not communicatee with anyone during our solo walk. This gave each of us time to reflect on the experience.

We reconvened at the campsite, shared our reflections, and took a moment to be present and enjoy our last moments together on this journey. Shortly after, we practically ran down the trail, eager to finish our last 2% of the trek.